This article was written by Lama Kazan

One of the most common reasons I often hear that hinder peoples’ commitment to exercise is the statements like “I don’t have time” , “ work is too busy” etc.. Basically time is the biggest constraint to being active and leading a healthy lifestyle. Well, what if I tell you that you can improve your fitness, lose weight and challenge yourself in a less than 30 mins a day of a workout? Those workouts are what you may heard called HIIT.

What is HIIT and how can you get the best out of it?

HIIT stands for “high intensity interval training” and it consists of a 15-30 minutes workouts that involve short bursts of intense work (20 seconds to few minutes) followed by a period of rest that prepares you for the next high intensity working rounds. HIIT when done right carries a variety of benefits in a short period of time. Why do I mean done right? When we talk about HIIT there needs to be an exertion of 80-100% effort during the work time. This could be measured by heart rate or after a while you can start going by feel. If you have a heart rate monitor such a fitness watch, this should measure about 80-100% of your max heart rate, calculated 220-age x 80-100%. So for example if you are 35 years old, your goal would be to reach about 170 bpm (beats per minute) during your work time interval. Remember you will have a good rest, to recharge and go again.

You gotta be ready to push hard!

HIIT is normally no more than 8-15 rounds taking about 15- 30 minutes. Infact a type of HIIT called tabata is only 4 minutes alternating between 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for 8 rounds. The nice thing about HIIT is that you can use different movements to create a workout, its quite simple. Additionally, you can do a great HIIT workout at the gym as well as at home.

HIIT targets what we call the anaerobic threshold in comparison to what we call LISS (low intensity steady state) which targets the aerobic system. LISS is when we are working for a long time at 65% of our maximal effort or heart rate. Both use sugars in our blood as a source of energy but LISS needs oxygen to utilize sugar and carry it to the muscles. This usually starts after 2 minutes from starting a workout and remains slow throughout the workout. HIIT in the meantime is intensive enough to skip the step of using oxygen for energy production and taps directly into stored glycogen ( in other words stored sugars) to satisfy the muscle needs and therefore uses more energy in a shorter time period.

sweaty hiit training

Benefits of HIIT:

Who should do HIIT?

In general everyone is eligible for doing HIIT. Anyone looking to lose weight, get fit, build muscle in shorter sessions per week, can incorporate HIIT in their workout routine. Those are some points to consider when starting:

dumbell hiit

How to get started with HIIT training

There are many ways to start incorporating HIIT in your workout routine. This includes group classes at the gym, home workouts, solo workouts and workouts you can do with a professional personal trainer. When starting as a real beginner, its always recommended to start with someone professional that will help you not only do the right HIIT workouts but also ensure that you are getting the safest and most effective programming.

Below are some examples of HIIT workouts based on convenience and level:

HIIT Home workout

1.Warm up:
5 minutes dynamic stretches and running on the spot

2. Training:
Beginner:
30 seconds on: 1 minutes off alternating moves x 8 ( 4 times each move)
Intermediate:
30 seconds on: 30 seconds off alternating moves x 10 rounds
Advanced:
1 minutes on: 30 seconds off alternating moves x 10 rounds

Home workout:

Gym workout

Running

liss running

It is important to acknowledge the Pros and Cons of HIIT and steady state cardio/ LISS and that both could be complimentary in a workout program:

LISS VS HIIT PROS CONS

It’s important to mention that whether you are trying to lose weight, build muscle and get stronger, your diet and food are a crucial factor in the process to reach your goals whether you do HIIT, LISS or both. Incorporating an healthy diet is essential and without it you will only get frustrated and give up.

At the end, its up to you to choose what you enjoy and most important what you can stick with. Results take time and require commitment and perseverance. No one ever got results in one week, and no one ever kept the result if they quit.

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